Wednesday, October 28, 2009

It seems that a lot of bloggers in my area are all over the following story so I will bite.

Apparently a young Bucks County teacher, Matthew Curran, used a poor choice of visual aids to teach an 8th grade class about math.

Do you see that picture up there? That's what he used for his class on math to get them to focus on "solving equations." ( I am not sure what the hell that pic has to do with solving equations, unless, of course, they are going to count my man's teeth.) So now the Bucks County NAACP is outraged, and they want sensitivity training for the poor chap.

"We have a problem with sensitivity," said NAACP President John Jordan. "Some things are totally uncalled for and unnecessary, and this was one of them."

Hmmmm, I don't know folks, I would say that on a scale of one to ten on my racism meter this is registering as a four. I mean if the guy really is a racist wouldn't he do a better job of covering it up? He said he got the picture off of the Internet and he used it because it featured a caption with words his students are always using. ("Nooo Way") That seems plausible to me. But field, you do realize, don't you, that there is only one African American in the class. Well yeah, that is a little problematic... I tell you what; let's move Matthew Curran up to a five on the racism meter.

"John Jordan, President of the Bucks County NAACP, says the parents of the only African-American in the class expressed "anger, rage, disappointment" to the Central Bucks School District, the NAACP and now, attorney Ersula Cosby."The teacher went through a lot of trouble to find this offensive image," believes Cosby."

Matthew probably thought it was funny; however, it just goes to show how teachers need to be aware of how there students will understand what they present. In this case, I, as a student, when at that level, would have thought it was funny, nor do I think the students had any more inclination to study because of it.

smh. First of all, it doesn't really say "No Way", I mean, if one wants to get technical. I know some teachers use shock images to grab the students' attention, but this is beyond responsible comprehension. I'll still give him some benefit, but give em an inch...

Secondly, why didn't he realize the photo itself is mocking with racial connotation and exploitation? He should have known better. Perhaps, this type of racist appeal might be the "norm" for him, as to why he "missed it" in the first place. It would be curiously interesting to know what his personal beliefs are on race relations in general.

btw, would the NAACM take on such high interest in this case if the photo was a black woman instead? Just asking.

You think there are allot of "anti racist" white teachers out there! LOL. Whites like this guy will continue to fuck up because they know zippidy-doo-daa about not being white. White privilege bitches-it can't be erased or compensated for.

Brothers and Sisiters... we know that we have to continue to have white teachers lead our children. We are no where near the number of Black teachers to provide adequate coverage for our children. The bad thing about my people is that we know the solutions to our problems in the home, school and society. We just have not been told by (you fill in) to do it. We (in the 60s) preached the solutions, but I guess the white man's ice was colder. Now you are drowning in our ignorence. If we lived by the standards that our forefathers dreamed and encouraged, we would not have to question if someone was disrepecting us. When have you seen/heard a white person crying when there were called "the C-word"? Encourage the young Blacks to focus on education if by the 6th grade someone in the NFL/NBA haven't contacted them. PS.. Being the first class in the 60s starting integration, I know the feelings of being the only minority-due to test scores- I hope that Black child is the smartest student...then she/he will care less. I am sorry that such an unattractive image that flavor him/her was used. That teacher needs to have a closet session if his intentions were not right.

There is no way the Phillies are going to win. You know why? Because when it comes to sports, Philly never takes home the final prize. It doesn't matter what the sport is, they always choke.

Uh sir, that would be the DEFENDING WORLD SERIES CHAMPION PHILLIES. The same ones who won last year..... Unlike the offer for Field, which was to do his legal support for a naked run.... you sir, are on your own!

Well, if you folks would put some more black kids through college, then maybe more than say 10% would be teachers. But no, there ARE TOO FEW black teachers. So blame whites without looking at your own group, that's sad and ignorant. How about making education a key priority...I have heard so many black kids say "that's acting white" if htey do good in school. That's a shame that your community endorses Hip Hop, guns, thug rap and drugs over education. Fix this and you won't have to be taught by white teachers. Those of you who are educated will understand this.

another boring "whitey is racist" article. Field must still be in the "emulate Carmen" mode, 'cause this article is just a carbon copy of that dated style. Try to have an original thought once in a while, field. You'll experience a new-found sense of pride if you do.

I put this one under insensitive and clueless-- which unfortunately I find through my ongoing professional contact with educators is sometimes par for the course for black and white teachers alike, folks.

We cannot legislate ignorance and insensitivity out of teachers--the only way is education. Diversity classes and maybe a few more social justice seminars for this cretin would be helpful.

When we stop openly and in private disrepecting ourselves in the name of being "cool and hip" then you will see a decrease in the number of ignorant teachers talked about here.No I'm not blaming the victim in this case but what I'm saying is we should check ourselves,for what we allow to be projected as black or brown.

Y'all kno whats insensitive? How the most dangerous part of every major American City's named after Martin Lucifer King... And do Y'all realize y'all look like Monkey's when Y'all open Y'alls mouths so wide like that dentally challenged guy in the pic? You wanta talk insensitive? How'bout those Niggaz in Connecticut that went all Roman Senate on the UConn defensive back?Poor guy won't even get to see his illegitimate baby be born, much less play in the NFL..

BigmacHmmmm. I find your comment strange as it has nothing to do with the issue that FN has blogged about. We are not talking about anyone being "cool and hip". And believe me when I say a good teacher (an adult by the way) is a good teacher and acknowledges a behavior problem as a behavior problem--no matter what ethnicity the child. If they don't they shouldn't be there.

Teachers, period, run up against all types of kids who have issues. Suburban all white schools have serious problems too with the cool factor and a boatload of other problems.

So I guess in the end--you are indeed blaming victims i.e children for the weaknesses of adult teachers who should--but don't always know better how to handle their students. In education you acknowledge a behavior problem as a behavior problem. It's not that you blindly ignore culture, ethnicity , etc., you just treat all kids with the same respect and discipline or you're a jackass who wasted your money getting the education degree in the first place.

isn't the mother keeping her son out of school over this an over-reaction? she says he's trying to get on the honor roll. ever had a kid-even 8th grade--miss one day of school? that's a lot of work to make up.

i think it is insensitive and hate this apology...i'm sorry "if" any one was distressed. shows he still doesn't get it.

2 shot at L.A. synagogue this morning. The 3 suspects black males. After the Crown Heights Lynching/pogrom, the destruction of Korean own businesses on both coasts, those black guys in NY trying to bomb synagogues just like the KKK had done to that black church in Alabama back in the day. Now this. What crime has the KKK committed against blacks that blacks haven't committed against other minorities? None.

Nah, no racism as I see it. That pic has floated around the internet with different captions for years. Considering that this happened in Philly? If the caption said "Put this man in a swim club pool and tell me how many swimmers would be left." Then I'd say we got a problem.

uptownsteve said... I blame any criminality or violence on the individual perpetrators.Don't blame Farrakhan or LA rioters or Crown Hgts or Sharpton.

I'll stop blaming Farrakhan or LA rioters or Crown Hgts or Sharpton when you stop blaming the KKK, Tuskgee, slavery, or republicans. If you blame any criminality on the individual perpetrators then stop generalizing about white racism, white priveledge, etc and just see them as individual acts committed by individuals whose ethnicity you didn't notice. Such as the Rodney King beating, Jasper TX, Emitt Till- funny, black folks aren't so color blind when it comes to these things... yet when someone points out hate crimes and hate speech you chide them into not noticing a fuck of a lot of it comes from black folks? Ummm, no

I'm so sorry to see in 2009 that there are so many Black folks who don't understand what institutional racism means.That means in 2009 White folk don't have to be overt about their racism,they depend on Black folk to continue what they started,undervaluing ourselves,under estimating each other and finally as I notice here,shit on each other (marginalize) for free.When all is said and done y'all are just cost-effective negros for society!

I should have said in my last post also,if we are going to come here and profess to be truth tellers,then be truth tellers!You can't be willie nillie about the truth.Every single person who post on this site has their own personal demons and if you seek to be real truth tellers,well you first must confront those demons front and center.Calling people out of their names is a sign that maybe we haven't really gotten to the truth telling throne we seek.

Actually BigMac in your last comment you were not talking about institutional racism. You were bad mouthing black children and basically making a stereotypical assumption that if the black kids were more what?--the teachers wouldn't treat them like dogs. Isn't that the gist of your statement? We're truth telling here--remember?

Of course, your current comments seems a bit less than reflective of what you wrote before. But maybe I am misunderstanding you. You seem to find no redeeming qualities in black folks and put all of us in one basket. Now that is something else all together. I'd say a bit self-loathing; but I sincerely hope not. Maybe you are seeking some sort of enlightenment that many of us cannot fathom . . .

But again--maybe that's just my stilted perception of you.

And by the way I am a 40 something year old black female who lives in a small town in the Midwest. I UNDERSTAND all kinds of racism.

I'm sorry Angela you don't understand where I'm coming from,but thats to be expected when one doesn't know the writer.For the record I'll tell anyone who will listen the truth and turn around the next second and give you a hug and a kiss.Maybe as time goes on your misunderstanding will be cleared up.

"Actually BigMac in your last comment you were not talking about institutional racism. You were bad mouthing black children and basically making a stereotypical assumption that if the black kids were more what?--the teachers wouldn't treat them like dogs. Isn't that the gist of your statement?"

That IS the gist of not only his statement but his entire mindset.

"If negroes weren't so trifilin white folks wouldn't be racist."

BigMac people like you are always yapping about "truth" and black folk's avoidance of it.

Simple answer for you UTS no!To answer any other way would be buying into the hype,my little brother one thing you need to know is I don't need to act and speak like John Wayne to be effective.That my friend you learn not in three years of posting on this web site,but living.

I am referring to all the excuses made by black folks for black folks here in this Blog US. I guess the lens by which you view "the black man" is different than mine. And that's okay US, I wouldn't want us to all think the same.

alicia, you talk alot of shit considering nobody here thinks you're sane. You need to look at yourself and figure out why you're so damn miserable.Its funny, the only one who can't see thru your bullshit is you, you stupid buffoon.

oh nooo, this is another boring article in a string of crappers lately :) We can't blame fn, because anybody'd get burned out sometimes. So what about the idea if somebody does a guest article once in a while? i think that BigMac would be a nice change of pace, and freshen things up. We all have to admit there's a certain staleness lately. AB would make for a change as the writer, too.

Long ago was a show by Johnny Carson. On tv. He'd have guest hosts. Nowadays everybody new is afraid of being upstaged and they won't turn over the wheel ever. But I think fn is secure enough.

Tell you what, if BigM or AB or even Uptown were announced in advance to be writing an article on a certain day, I bet everybody'd make it a point to tune in that day.

Hey, or maybe 'guest day' would be a certain day or the week, regular, like Sunday.

Disturbed, to say the least. But never surrpised by the things I've witnessed and probably continue to witness in people, well, certain people.

I forgot you are in Philly. LOL. I'm still mad @ how Philadelphia did the you know what to my beloved Cubbies a few years back, in the playoffs. With that said, yeah, Go Phillies, cause there's no other baseball organization I despised more than New York Yankees.

We should take all white teachers out of black schools and only allow them to teach in all white suburbs. This would solve the problem.<<

@Anonymous 12:25 a.m.

Apparently the school is predominately white as there is only one African American in the class. How about refraining from using denigrating images of any ethnic group? (As if white kids should be subject to racist teachers.)

Sharon,You are a brave soul to speak that on this blog. Lotsa racist folks here. And who would teach our children if we did? There are so few black teachers anyway. I admire your statement Sharon. FN and others can learn from your advocacy of all people. God bless you my dear.

FN, Learn something from the Angry Black Woman (I think this is the official name of it) and man up and create some rules...not having rules is really the most chicken shit of all...and this place is a hot mess.

The ABW blog is where I discuss race, gender, politics, and other extremely volatile subjects. "Therefore, it is inevitable that conflicts will arise, tensions will mount, and sooner or later someone will hurl the term “Nazi” at someone else. While I accept these things as a given, I have always intended my blog to be a safe space to discuss race, gender, politics, etc. This means that we can have discussion and debate, disagreements and differences, but we should not have nasty fights and absolute craziness. So I’m setting down these Rules of Engagement to inform all visitors how I expect them to act in my virtual house."

As you can see FN, her nut sack is much bigger than yours cause people come in here and take over with trivial, stupid, racist, etc. stuff all the time. Clean up your house bro...it's a mess.Grow some balls. I guess you like your guests abused.

Quote begins here;You’re censoring me/suppressing my right to free speech!: Um, no. For an excellent explanation of why this is a stupid argument, please see this post on Making Light and this post on the Whatever. See also ABW posts here and here for more discussion. In summary: No, you don’t have the right to come to my blog, take over my discussion, and abuse my guests. This isn’t a free-for-all and it isn’t a privilege park. It’s my space on the Internet and I have every right to set the atmosphere. There are plenty of other places on the ‘net for you to express yourself. Go to those other places and stay away from here. If you won’t do so voluntarily, I’ll do it for you.

"Therefore, it is inevitable that conflicts will arise, tensions will mount, and sooner or later someone will hurl the term “Nazi” at someone else. While I accept these things as a given, I have always intended my blog to be a safe space to discuss race, gender, politics, etc. This means that we can have discussion and debate, disagreements and differences, but we should not have nasty fights and absolute craziness. So I’m setting down these Rules of Engagement to inform all visitors how I expect them to act in my virtual house."

Okaaaay.....

Where do these people come from? I repeat; it's called the world wide web, if you are not picking up what I am putting down hit the road. It's that simple.

Besides, my hit-meter says that the fields are quite populated (even with with clowns like you)but thanks for your concern. ;)

it's so sad. i work all day, get to the gym, take care of my kids, do a little political consulting, cook, clean, rabble rouse a bit and in between check in on Field and what do i find--the same goddamn shit!

there's has got to be some rules! AB there is NO fucking WAY you are earning any kind of living because you are on here all damn day and 2/3 of your posts are off-topic and purely self-promotional and 3/3 are repetitive!

i agree with gabalea. it is not hard to moderate.

nyt has a simple rule: if it's off topic and abuse it GOES. as would 99,9 of AB's posts and all the fake ones in which she's either kissing her own ass OR pretending to be biting it.

White kids are racist. So what does it matter if they get more of the racism from their teacher than what they already believe and learn about at home?

Race Traitoress,

You can't teach from a non-racist perspective because of your inherent white privilege. That privilege that you carry--simply because of your whiteness--keeps you from being able to ever understand those that you have enormous advantages over.

Oh Gee Field, that's what I love about you, you don't miss anything do you :)

"That privilege that you carry--simply because of your whiteness--keeps you from being able to ever understand those that you have enormous advantages over."

I don't fully agree with this statement. I think there are white people who are conscience enough to see things from another racial perspective, and willing to fight against racism (And yes, when it comes time for some to eventually realize they have to give up said privileges, it may bring a different ball game). But in all fairness, based on things I have read on this blog, I honestly think RT, Jody (and maybe a few others) might fall into the consciously sincere category.

I also say this because, I have seen a few black people who are just as blind or refuse to acknowledge the same anti-black racism that other blacks experience. So why is it so hard to believe there are whites in the opposite who consciously "get it", want to fight against it, or at least don't subscribe to the white denial.

So why is it so hard to believe there are whites in the opposite who consciously "get it", want to fight against it, or at least don't subscribe to the white denial.

Well, maybe if they give their kids college fun to the United Negro College fund, or donate their retirement account or home to someone black. That would do something to erase the historical advantage they've been given. Still, they would had have an advantage: their white. White people can talk the anti-racist talk and still keep their ill gotten gains. They don't actually have to sacrifice anything do they? All that makes it is just a bunch of talk. A good example of this are the white farmers in Zimbabwe who stayed after Mugabe came to power. They might have talked the 'inclusive' talk but when it came time to give back what was not rightfully theirs--stolen farm land--their tune changed.

White kids are racist. So what does it matter if they get more of the racism from their teacher than what they already believe and learn about at home?

Race Traitoress,

You can't teach from a non-racist perspective because of your inherent white privilege. That privilege that you carry--simply because of your whiteness--keeps you from being able to ever understand those that you have enormous advantages over.

So there's no hope? Fuck that.

And, um, yeah, I've heard of white privilege, so you don't need to school me. Try teaching the concept to conservative white boys. Their disdain of me beats yours, hands down. But, amazingly, they learn; some more, some less. Teens are stunningly idealistic about themselves and others, and though they are initially threatened by the concept, most of them are open to learning about it, which plants the seeds of introspection. At least it's a start.

I hear on this blog and elsewhere that racism is a white construct and that it is the responsibility of so-called whites to dismantle it. I agree that this is true. I'm trying to do my part, in a VERY white city at one unique, highly diverse, very small high school.

@radio

Thank you anon, someone on here had the balls to say it.

Too bad it wasn't you.

People like Race Traitoress are nothing more than apologists, who feel kinda guilty, but wouldn't give up her white priviledge to save the world.

You don't know me, so don't presume you know what I'm like.

And, btw, I don't feel the least bit guilty. I didn't create this heinous situation, but I do live in it and I definitely benefit from unearned privilege. What do you want me to do about that? I'm hear to listen to your constructive criticism.

Until you decide what you'd like to teach me, here's what I'll be doing: teaching high school, calling out racism whenever I see it, bringing attention to situations of white privilege (my own and what I observe), trying to educate myself by reading and listening to people from whom I can learn, checking myself and everything I say and do for unconscious racism and my own ignorance on matters of race, admitting my mistakes, opening my heart and my mind, and trying not to get discouraged by those who say there is no nope so why even bother trying.

@Anon 10:39 - no retirement fund, no house, no college funds. I do share the rented roof over my head with teens that need a place to go, feed them, listen to them.

I'm not really sure what it's supposed to mean, but it has a nice ring to it! What are "euro feces" like, anyway? Or was it a european feces-colored dog? Alicia, I bet wars have been fought over misplaced hyphens.

And if it's a feces-colored dog you were talking about, what to you have against brown dogs? We had a brown dog when I was a kid, and we never called him "feces-colored."

You better watch out because someone (not me) might take to calling you a euro feces colored (female dog)

"A good example of this are the white farmers in Zimbabwe who stayed after Mugabe came to power. They might have talked the 'inclusive' talk but when it came time to give back what was not rightfully theirs--stolen farm land--their tune changed."

Funny that most of the Mugagbe-lovers live in luxury in their western, majority-white countries. So easy to have convenient opinions when you're lucky enough to live in the west, isn't it?

Tell that to the millions of underfed Zimbabweans who go to the grocery to find no food available because the confiscated farm land (purchased legally btw) now goes to waste. Zimbabwe, once known as a "bread-basket" now has countless #s of its citizens crossing the border of South Africa because they're hungry and been betrayed by their leadership.

your threads always go all over the place, field. goodness, but the range of people you attract! no one can accuse you of lacking in diversity here.

i'll argue in favor of an unmoderated comment section for this blog. my reading habits online are sort of restricted for time and professional reasons. i almost never go to some places that are apparently very popular on the internet, and so i don't really read a representative sampling of who comments and says what.

i come here and i confess i'm shocked by two things that really aren't in my world very much, if ever. the racists here amaze me, and are very educational for me. the black folk who are so harsh to white commenters here are also new to me, in the sense that i don't see such very often at the blogs i read.

from a purely technical perspective, this is what every blogger wants: diversity. as a former serious blogger who has since dialed it down a lot, i have to remind people that no, comment moderation is not "easy." for popular blogs it can be a full time job, at times. Field has enough to do, the last thing he should be devoting his time to is erasing the tantrums of racists and children.

there's a program called "killfile" and it works for haloscan, i don't know if it would work here but people should give it a try. i just scroll by people i don't want to read, usually after the first sentence or two. it's not hard and the least effort readers can show, Field is the one doing all the work, yo.

"Uptownsteve is a self hating black fool who represents ghetto ignorance and dependency."

LOL, yeah...RiPPa is "one of the good ones", huh? I wonder if he's gonna buy that little attempted head-rub from you. In any case, you're indulging in wishful thinking. You want to think that any black person whom you don't perceive as helping to uphold white hegemony as being a ghetto welfare recipient. You want to think that it's impossible for a black person to be successful unless they are the kind of black person you want them to be. Sorry, it's not true, and desperately wishing won't make it so:).

So unconstructive, if it's "hip hop", it's bad huh?You are one coonish asshole.You're the one who's "filled".I bet you like to sit home on a saturday night watching Cosby show reruns by yourself.Your cooness seeps through your pores. I can smell it on you.

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